


Timelines

by rezzabelle



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: After Flashback, Alternate Universe, F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-05-14 21:17:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19281346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rezzabelle/pseuds/rezzabelle
Summary: A few months after Tam joins the Neverseen, and Sophie fails to get her matchmaking scroll, the Collective comes to the gang with some shocking news: Sophie has an identical twin sister living in the Forbidden Cities. With Dex's technopath skills, they manage to find her and bring her to the Lost Cities. But of course, they can't catch a break. When startling news comes to light, can Sophie keep her friends together and hold onto her sister?





	1. Twins

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is my first official, letting people read it, fanfiction. I know it's not great, it's not going to be. This is an idea that I've had floating around my head for awhile. And before people come after me saying Livia and Sophie are too similar, I know. I did that on purpose. Chill. I wanted to make them almost completely identical. There will be differences late, I promise. I just haven't worked out all the kinks yet. Remember, good things come to those who wait. Granted this, isn't all that great, but you get the idea.
> 
> Also, I will be working on making the chapters longer and better. I won't have a consistent update schedule, because I'm pretty busy, plus I don't want to force writing this, cause I really enjoy it, and I don't want to ruin that.

 

“Livia!” a voice shouted. It was her little sister Desiree. “Get off your bed and come downstairs. Mom wants to talk to you.” Livia rolled her eyes and got up. She had been listening to music to cancel out the noise. Her family didn’t understand why she was always listening to music. Granted, they couldn’t even hear the noise. But she was constantly plagued by the thoughts of the people around, drowning in the things they really say. 

“Yeah, Mom?” she said after reaching the kitchen.

“Honey, Mr. Thompson called today saying you brought your earbuds to school again. We’ve talked about this.” Her back was to Livia, as she mixed the sweet smelling sauce. “I’m sorry. I won’t bring them tomorrow.” 

“Okay. Help your sister set the table.” 

Livia popped her earbuds back in and helped place the glass plates around the table. Her dad got home right when they were sitting down. They ate in silence for a few moments before he asked, “So Livy, you excited for the concert tonight?” he said, his sea green eyes twinkling. She nodded half-heartedly. Going to a public area was always a pain with the voices of those around her slicing across her consciousness like a dagger. But the concert would be worth it.

The meal continued in silence. Livia finished first, then went up to her room. She had to find something for tonight. Not that she cared, but was going to be cold. After staring at her plain black shirt and grey jeans, she snatched a black sweatshirt from her closet and thundered down the stairs.

"Mom, I'm heading out!"

"Let me know when you're on your way back okay?"

"I will."

She walked to her car and got in, starting it and turning the music up. Humming along, she pulled out.

 

~~~~~

 

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Fitz yelled in her ear. Sophie nodded, scanning the group of faces flooding through the doors.

“Granite said she looks like me, right?” She asked. The Collective had told them a week ago about Sophie’s twin sister who was living in Idaho. They had been looking for her ever since a situation that happened with her parents. They didn’t go into detail, but it involved her sister changing her name. It was only yesterday that Dex found a DNA match to Sophie’s in Post Falls, Idaho. 

Sophie couldn’t believe that they had kept  _ this  _ from her. She had a sister. Not only that, she had a twin sister. A blood related, just as unique as her,  _ twin sister.  _ And they decided not to tell her about it until a week ago. Not only that, but  _ they lost track of her! _ The other part of Project Moonlark, and they lost her.

From what the Collective had said, her sister was really similar to her. But because they had lost track of her, they had no idea what she had manifested as. They knew her DNA was almost exactly the same as Sophie’s, but there were a few differences Mr. Forkle wouldn’t go into.

Fitz drew in a sharp breath, drawing her out of her thoughts. “I see her.” Sophie’s head snapped over to where he was pointing. A girl with a dark hoodie was walking into the theatre. She looked exactly like Sophie, but her hair was full of purples and blues. “ I thought Dex said she had blonde hair.”Fitz commented.

“She must have dyed it.” Sophie responded. “Go talk to her.” They had decided only to send Fitz so she wouldn’t be scared by seeing her double. As badly as she wanted to meet her, this was going to be shocking enough to deal with. A mirror image of herself would not make this easier. Sophie watched tensely as he approached the girl.

 

~~~~~

Livia entered the crowded space. Pulsing music filled the room. The warm up act had already started. Luckily, the music was loud enough it drowned out most of the mental static. Livia looked around the crowded space and noticed a young man and woman talking. They kept glancing in her direction. 

She wasn’t nervous though. She was more than used to seeing people stare at her, a 16 year old carrying herself as if she's older, with bright blue and purple hair. Not to mention the media had blown up when they learned a thirteen year old was going to be a college freshman. That had been 3 years ago, but it still was on her town’s mind. 

She did start to get wary when the young man started to walk towards her. “Hey.” he said the smile of a movie star. Livia just nodded. Why couldn’t she hear his thoughts? What accent was that?

“I was wondering if you could some with me. My friend and need to talk to you.” He asked. Livia noticed his eyes. They were a bright teal. Definitely the most blue eyes she had ever seen. As she opened her mouth to say no and walk away, a feeling in her gut said she should go with him. She gave a hesitant nod. He looked relieved. 

They started to walk to the blonde girl on the other side of the room. As they got closer, Livia noticed something about the girl. They looked exactly alike. “What kind of joke is this?” Livia asked sharply. “It’s no joke. We have something we need to tell you, but we can’t do it here.” The girl said softly.

The pulsing music in the room turned into a roar. This isn’t possible. She needed to get out of there. Thinking quickly, she shoved the guy into her stunt double, guilt shooting through her. She hated being violent after…. No she couldn’t focus on that now. Livia took the distraction and bolted out of there, not caring where she was going. She just needed to get away.

 

~~~~~

 

"Oh my gosh, Fitz! Are you okay?!" Sophie stood and brushed herself off.

“Yeah, just a bit surprised. She’s stronger than she looks.”

“Well, normally I would give you a minute to rest, but we’ll lose her if we don’t go.” She wrung her hands and looked towards the door. Fitz shot her a smile.

“I’ve dealt with worse. Now let’s go.”

 

~~~~~

 

Livia looked over her shoulder. They were following her. How had they gotten out so fast? She couldn't focus on that now though. She looked around for her car, but it was still several rows over. Livia whipped her head around just in time to see a car speeding towards her. "No!" A girl’s voice screamed. Livia felt herself flying backwards, landing next to the girl and her friend. Livia turned towards them glaring.

“You have 3 seconds to explain what the heck just happened before I lose it!" She said, a hint of hysteria in her voice. The girl took a deep breath.   
  


~~~~~

 

“I’m Sophie and this is Fitz. I’m your twin sister and we need to take you with us to explain everything. I promise you’ll be okay.” Sophie’s heart twisted as she realized how overwhelming this was. She reached for Livia’s hand as Fitz held his pathfinder to the light. “Wait--What’s--” Livia tried to say before the light whisked them away.

 

~~~~~~

Sophie's twin yanked her hand away as soon as proper feeling returned to her body. “Where did you take me?! What just happened?” She yelled. They were standing in front of Everglen.

“This is where I live.” Fitz said. Livia looked ready to either punch him or collapse. 

“Welcome…” Alden said. “Livia Grey.” she spat.

Della gave a gentle smile that did nothing to ease Livia's tense stance. “Let’s go inside. I’m sure you have questions.”

~~~~~~

Livia stood in the most glamorous room she had ever seen. “Let’s start with proper introductions.” The man said. “I’m Alden and this is my wife Della. You’ve already met Fitz and Sophie.” Alden gestured to each person as he said their names.

“Sorry if I’m not as polite as I would be normally. I don’t the proper etiquette for being kidnapped.” Livia snapped. 

“Woah. Foster’s sister has some spunk.” A blonde young man with carefully mussed hair walked into the room. Sophie rolled her eyes. "Livia, this is Keefe.” She said.

“Pleasure.” Keefe said walking over and plopping down next to Fitz. 

Livia’s eyes went around focusing on each person in turn. “Why can’t I hear your thoughts?” She asked. Everyone exchanged looks uneasily. Sophie’s heart sputtered in her chest.  _ She’s a telepath too.  _ Sophie thought.

    "What? Is that not normal here either?" Her voice hitched and she began to back away towards the door.

    "No, that's not it, there’s no reason to worry" Alden said, "It's just, well Ms. Grey, we have much explaining to do."


	2. Update

Hey guys! I've been on a roll lately so I have several chapters coming. I'm hoping to update the second chapter sometime in the next few days, and then I have more chapters to post after that. I've been busy :)

That saying, don't expect this to happen that often. I have been super inspired and I've been imagining specific scenes and my brain finally decided to fill in the gaps to get me to that point, which is rare.

Anyways, be prepared for some interesting (hopefully) chapters.

 

 

 

Oh yeah btw before y'all come after me for the similarities between Livia and Sophie, back off. They have different personalities, and they are different. Yes, I get that they have a few similar personality traits and their abilities are similar, but that's cause it will be important to the story later on. I'm planning things. Big things. And there are reasons for all of their abilities. Take a chill pill. It's okay.

 

I hope you have a great day? Life? Whatever


	3. Is This Real?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t need a self absorbed, male Elsa look a like analyzing me, thanks. I’ll be fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just some quick notes about this chapter. One, I’ve decided to alternate between Livia and Sophie on chapters. Hopefully, you guys won’t mind it. Two, yes I one hundred percent am making references to Miraculous Ladybug and Percy Jackson. I’m sorry if I didn’t capture the characters as well as I wanted, but I really wanted to put that in there. Whether or not it was because I’m crazy, that’s debatable, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.
> 
> (Oh yeah, I've decided to start putting clips of dialogue in for the chapter summary cause why not)

**Chapter 2 - Livia**

 

            Livia sat on one of the grand couches in the Vacker’s home. The world seemed to spin as she tried to process the unbelievable story they had just told her.

            “So what you’re saying is that I’m an elf, and there's basically a war going on, involving several species and the potential destruction of the human race, which is from a rebel group known as the Neverseen, being led by a psychopath who can handle extreme acts of violence that other elves can’t and I’m supposed to be apart of the opposing team’s genetic experiments to save a crumbling society? Oh and not to mention, one of our greatest tools against them, and one of your best friends is working for them now.”

            They all stared at her. The girl that had come over about halfway through the story with silver tips in her hair looked like she was going to cry. “More or less,” Keefe responded. Livia flopped back against the couch. 

            “I’m dreaming. You guys are all apart of some stress induced dream I had because of finals. I’m going to wake up at any second.”

            Sophie looked at her sadly. Livia still couldn’t believe it. She had a twin sister. An identical, yet somehow prettier, twin sister. With a boyfriend who could be a movie star, by how close her and the guy Fitz were sitting. But that wasn’t the most important thing right now.

            “Livia?” Della said softly. “I understand this is overwhelming. If you want to rest now, we can continue this discussion tomorrow. But you’re free to ask questions.”

            Livia stared at her hands. So many thoughts were swirling around her head. What do the special abilities mean? Is everyone a telepath? Is she going to die now because she’s been exposed to this crazy world? But only two questions really stood out.

            “What about my family? Can I stay with them still?”

            Alden and Della exchanged a look, and Sophie buried her head in Fitz’s shoulder as everyone else looked away uncomfortably. “No. But you can live with someone her. Sophie’s parents have already requested that if you want to, you would go live with them.”

            “What will happen to them?” Livia’s brown eyes burned into Alden’s vivid teal ones.

            He shifted his stance. “We would make them forget you had ever existed.”

            Livia stood and walked over to one of the giant windows. The night sky glittered with thousands of stars. As she stared at them, someone came up behind her.

            “Livia?” A hesitant voice said. “I know how hard this all is. I had to go through it too. I’m sorry that we pulled you into this.” It was Sophie.

            Livia chuckled darkly. “Are you really? I don’t have to use telepathy to figure out there’s a reason they waited to tell you. The Neverseen found out about me didn’t they? And you had to get me out before they got to me first.” Her sister nodded.

            She turned and looked at the elves staring at her. “I have nothing else to say.”

            Keefe snorted, and she shot a glare. He held up his hands in peace. “Look, Livia, we can all tell you have a ton to say, and some incredibly handsome people this room,” He winked, “Can tell you’re angry.” His expression softened. “Holding it in won’t help you Grey. Are you sure you want to sleep on this?”

            “I don’t need a self absorbed, male Elsa look a like analyzing me, thanks. I’ll be fine.” She said dryly, and looked at Sophie. “Where do we go?”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

            Livia stood in Sophie’s giant bathroom, clutching the sides of the sink. In a matter of hours, she discovered that she wasn’t human, had a twin sister, and had to deal with what was basically a female Voldemort, with six times the weapons to use. Fun.

            Now, on top of all that, she had to leave her family and they wouldn’t even remember her. Her grip on the sink tightened. The people who had saved her life, and raised her, doing everything they could to help her. She was abandoning them. The rest of the human race, she couldn’t lie and say she’d miss them. But her mom, dad, even Desiree. They could die.

            Tears began to slip down her face. She couldn’t do this. She was sixteen. She didn’t even know how to use her special ability, and apparently she had more that they could trigger. She wasn’t cut out for this. Livia sank to the floor, the silent tears still streaming down her face. All she had wanted to do was go to a concert. Now she was stuck saving a world she hadn’t even known existed.

            A rapping sound had her whipping around towards the door. “Livia?” Sophie called. “Are you okay?” Livia scrubbed the wetness from her face.

            “Yeah. Just needed a minute.” She stood and went to the door. Opening it revealed a very concerned pair of brown eyes, and a giant grey thing poking its head through the door to the room. Livia jumped back.

            “What in the name of all things holy is that?!”

            The thing chuckled. “I’m a goblin. I’m Sophie’s bodyguard.”

            She stared at him. “You sound like a baby mouse.” Sophie snorted as the goblin’s eyes rolled. “Nice to meet you too. I’m Sandor.” His head disappeared back into the hallway.

            Livia kept her eyes down as she crossed over to the pile of blankets she had made on the floor. Sophie reached for her face, and pulled out an eyelash. “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep on the bed?”

            “I’m fine.” She nestled into the cocoon.

            “Is there anything you want to talk about.”

            “Nope.”

            Livia heard a sigh and footsteps as Sophie crossed back to her bed, switching off the lights. She heard the rustle of blankets as her sister got settled. A few minutes of silence passed before Livia spoke.

            “Does it ever get easier? Leaving them, I mean.”

            There was a pause. “In a way, no. I haven’t forgiven myself for leaving them. Especially after what happened. But I know I belong here. I’ve found another family. I have friends, and a home. I never fit in with humans. At least with me here, my family doesn’t need to worry about me.” Sophie’s voice got quieter. “I know that you can get through this. You’ll find friends here. Grady and Edaline are fantastic. And even if you don’t feel like you can trust them, I’m always here. I know we just met, but you’re my sister. I want to help you.”

            Livia felt her eyes burn. “Thanks Sophie.” She swallowed, trying to find something else to talk about. She was way too stressed to try and sleep. “What’s the deal with you and Fitz?”

            Sophie jerked up. “What-I-There’s-What do you mean?!” Livia laughed.

            “Please, you were snuggling into him that whole time.”

            “No I wasn’t!”

            “Uhhh yeah you were. Clearly he likes you too. Are you two a thing?” A sigh filled the room as Sophie flopped back down. “It’s complicated.”

            “If it wasn’t with what’s going on, I’d be concerned.” Sophie laughed. 

            “Yeah. Well, I really like him. He’s my best friend. And my cognate. Plus he’s the one who found me.”

            “And he’s cute.”

            The two girls laughed. They continued to talk all night, about life in the Forbidden Cities, about what it was like being so far ahead of humans, being able to hear the thoughts around them, and everything that had happened in the Elven world. They were still talking when Sandor knocked on the door not long after sunrise. “Grady wants to talk to Livia about her family.” The room suddenly felt much more somber.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

            The white sitting room sparkled in the early morning light. Livia still couldn’t believe how clean it was. Granted, the biggest reason that stuck out was because she was doing everything she could to avoid looking at the man that had adopted Sophie. They had only briefly met the night before, and she didn’t trust him yet.

            “Alden was going to take care of your family today,” He started gently. Livia continued to stare at the furniture. “He wanted to know if there was anything you wanted to grab from your home.” Livia swallowed.

            “No there’s-” Her throat caught. “Yeah…. there’s something I want to grab.” Her eyes flicked to Grady’s face. He looked sad. 

            “I’ll let him know.”

            Livia stood and started walking back towards the stairs. “Livia?” Grady called. She turned to face him, and he cleared his throat. “I hope you realize that Edaline and I would love to have you here. The gnomes could build you a room, or you could share with Sophie…” He trailed off. “But it’s okay if you want to find somewhere else. Please don’t force yourself into it.”

            She looked away. “Thanks. I’ll let you know soon.” She walked back up to Sophie’s room, where she was waiting.

            “What did he want?”

            Livia shrugged. “Will you come with me when I go back?”

            “To your house?” Livia nodded. Sophie’s entire body relaxed. “Yeah. I’ll get ready.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

            The small house was perfectly framed by a gloomy sky. Sophie stood across the street, with Fitz, Sandor, and Keefe who insisted on coming, and she gave an encouraging thumbs up. Taking a deep breath, Livia opened the door. Screaming thoughts ripped through her mind as her parents ran over.

            “Where were you last night?! You didn’t respond to-”

            “We thought you were in da-”

            “Why would you run o-”

            “Completely ridiculous and-”

            “Is there something we should know about?”

            They crowded her, simultaneously scolding her, and checking she wasn’t hurt and hugging her. Livia winced as she heard their concerned thoughts. She racked her brain for a convincing lie.

            “I’m sorry. I was tired as I was driving back, and so I pulled over and passed out.”

            They sighed. “Next time, tell us. We’ll come pick you up.” Her mom said, rubbing her forehead.

            Livia nodded, guilt twisting inside her like a hot knife. “I’m going to my room.” Her parents nodded. “But you are not off the hook yet. We need to have a long talk about putting your phone on vibrate when-” Her dad’s voice was cut off as she shut the door behind her. She didn’t have much time. 

            The thoughts continued to echo through her frazzled brain as she ran around looking for the things she couldn’t leave behind. “Where is it?” She muttered. She had kept only one thing from her birth parents. A small oval locket with a picture of her family on one side, and her birth mom on the other, before- Livia shook her head. She couldn’t think about that now.

            “Ah!” She pulled the silver chain out of her beside drawer. She had forgotten she had put it there last night, not wanting to lose it at the concert. Livia clasped the chain around her neck and shouldered her backpack. With one final look around her room, she went back downstairs. Her parent’s thoughts took a rapid turn.

            “Where in Hades do you think you’re going?!” Her dad yelled. Desiree finally looked away from the show she was watching, about some teenage superheroes in Paris.

            Tears pooled in Livia’s eyes. “I left something at the concert.”

            “That’s absolute bull.” Her mom’s grey eyes glinted angrily. “You get your butt on this couch right now.” With her whole body feeling like lead, she sat on the armchair opposite her parents. Her family.

            She looked at her dad with his messy black hair, and sea green eyes. At her mom’s long blonde hair framing her face, and her incredible intelligence shining in her eyes. Her little sister. Her sister who she had seen grow up, the perfect combination of both parents. Finally, her eyes flicked to her mom’s stomach. Her baby brother. She would never get to meet him. Her dad’s sharp voice jerked her back to reality.

            “What is going on Liv? This is not like you at all.” His eyes searched her face.

            “I don’t-You-you won’t-you won’t understand.” Her parent’s thoughts stuck on her stutter and show of emotion. They would never let her leave if she was showing her anxiety. She had to act normal.

            Her mom's stare never wavered. “Try us.” Desiree watched warily, trapped between their parents on the couch..

            Taking a breath, Livia steeled herself. Even though it was killing her, she looked at them with a smooth face. “I can’t tell you.”

            Her dad erupted, and from the sounds of it, that was the moment a pipe burst downstairs. “And why not? We want to he-”

            “Percy!” Her mom snapped. “That’s not helping!”

            “I can’t tell you,” Livia said again, “But I want you to know I love you. Thank you so much for everything. You’ve been my family and have been with me through everything. I’ll never forget you.” She held a small disk in her hands. Drugging them. Sophie had said it was hard, but nothing could prepare her for the weight in her hands.

            “Livia, what are you talking about?” Her mom looked alarmed. Looking down, her dad saw her hands twist.

            “Livia!” He lunged towards her as the gas filled the room. Her lungs burned as she held her breath, and watched her family pass out. With her whole body numb, she kissed her family’s foreheads one last time.

            “I love you.” She whispered as she slipped outside. 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

            The thoughts of the humans going about their lives swam through Livia’s mind like static as she crossed the street. They had no idea what had just happened to their neighbors. She could barely process who she stumbled into, though some part of her hoped it wasn’t Sophie.

            Strong arms caught her. “It’s okay. I got you Grey.” A boy’s voice whispered in her ears. She didn’t care. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare. As she clung to the person who had caught her, she felt a swelling warmth under her skin as the light whisked her away.


	4. Too Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I just feel bad I didn't do it sooner."

**Chapter 3 - Sophie**

 

It was killing Sophie waiting for Livia to come out. She could remember the day she had to leave her family with crystal clarity. They had gotten much closer last night, and it had been so easy to trust her. She just wished she could read her mind. It wasn’t often that she wished that, but Livia was hiding something. All she wanted to do was help. But she couldn't get past the wall that Livia had built. She had watched her last night, and saw how carefully her sister controlled her emotions. Something had to have happened to do that to her.

As she thought this, she paced anxiously on the sidewalk. Keefe watched her, amused. “You good there Foster?” She shot a glare at him.

“Why did you come Keefe?”

He put his hand on his chest in mock hurt. “Do you not want me here? My heart feels as though it’s shattering into a million tiny-”

“Keefe.” Sandor snapped.

“Fine!” He threw his hands up in defeat. “I didn’t want to spend the day at Foxfire when I might be needed. Besides, Fitzy needs me.” He through his arms around Fitz’s neck.

“Get off Keefe.” Fitz said with a grin. “And never call me that again.”  As he locked eyes with Sophie, and gave her a reassuring wink, her heart fluttered. He was the only other person there that had any idea how hard this was. He had been the one with her the day she left her family after all. She began to rub the necklace he had given her absentmindedly. As she turned to start pacing again, she heard a door open. Her head whipped around so fast, she was surprised she didn’t get whiplash. Her heart broke as she watched her sister walked across the street, stumbling into Keefe as she reached them.

Sophie watched as Keefe whispered something into her sister’s ear, but couldn’t hear what it was. As she was trying to figure it out, she noticed Livia wasn’t crying. Her face was blank. Then the light pulled Sophie away, but left her heart twisting in pain for her sister.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

They were back at Havenfield. Sitting in the living room was the entire Collective, along with Sophie’s friends, parents, and Alden and Della They were waiting for Livia to finish with Elwin, and then they were going to see what abilities they could trigger. They had talked about it with Livia and she was willing to try. Mr. Forkle had said that because of previous trauma, her abilities had been suppressed and some would need to be triggered manually before any others would surface.

Sophie stood at the window, watching the pastures that covered the landscape. She didn’t even notice when Dex walked up to her. “Hey.”

She kept watching the animals. “Hey.”

“Are you okay?” She shrugged. He bumped shoulders with her. “I’m here if you need me. I know I’ve been busy with Tinker, but I can drop that and help.” She smiled, but it felt more like a grimace.

“Thanks Dex.”

They turned as footsteps approached. Livia and Elwin entered the room. Livia went and sat in the empty chair, not meeting anyone’s gaze, and Elwin exchanged a concerned glance with the rest of the adults in the room. Before Sophie could worry about what that meant, Mr. Forkle stood up.

“Well, if you don’t have any questions, we’ll just get into it. It’s been a long day.” He walked over to Livia. As he was reaching for her head, Marella’s hand shot into the air.

“Wait!” They all turned and stared, her face flushing. “I just wanted to know what you were going to trigger.” Mr. Forkle smiled. “We will need to see. There are a few things that could happen.” Before any of them could process what that meant he placed his hands on her head and closed his eyes. Sophie watched anxiously as seconds ticked past. 428 passed before Mr. Forkle finally pulled away.

“Feel any different?” He panted. Livia took a second to answer.

“Not really.” Livia winced. “But you’re kinda stressing me out. Can you guys relax? Honestly, didn't know you could feel that much.” They stared at her. “What? What did I say?” She looked at Keefe. “What’s with the,” She wiggled her fingers at him, unsure what to call it. “Vibe?”

Keefe laughed and put his hand up, as if for a high five, and she flinched slightly, as thought she didn’t want to. “Welcome to the cool empaths club.” Livia just stared at him until he put his hand down.

“There should be at least one more that I triggered.” Mr. Forkle muttered.

Livia shrugged. “I guess I just have two.” She shifted uncomfortably, as though she was trying to block the emotions hurtling towards her. They all were silent for a second before Sophie had an idea.

“Hey Livia, do you want to go outside with me later? I can show you Calla’s tree.”

“Yeah, I would like that.”

Dex looked at Sophie. “Wasn’t that Gnomish?” Sophie nodded. “So she’s a polyglot too?” He checked.

Everyone began talking at once.

“They have two of the same abilities.”

“What other things could they share?”

“Man Foster, guess you aren’t our only interrupter anymore-”

"Didn't realize that it was even  _ possible _ for twins to have the same-"

Livia waved her arms. “Okay, I’m all for let’s experiment and see what other magical anime powers Livia has, but I’m tired and-” Light pulsed out from her hands, creating a shield around her as everyone jumped back. She stared at the light around her. “What. The. Crap.”

At her complete confusion, everyone broke into laughter, helping to relieve the tension. “Ha ha ha, yes very funny. I trapped myself in an orb of pretty light. How do I get out? Do I just…” She moved her hands again and furrowed her brow and the light vanished. She hesitantly reached out, as if she was expecting it to still be there.

“Boo!” Marella said, and Livia jumped back. Marella fell onto the couch laughing. Livia rolled her eyes and walked towards the door. “C’mon Sophie. I need a break.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Laughter and tense conversation faded as they walked towards the Panakes tree, barely visible in the fading twilight. Livia plopped down on the ground and looked out towards the pastures, like Sophie was doing earlier. Sophie sat down next to her. She was worried about her sister. It was overwhelming to get new abilities, let alone three at once. With everything that’s happened in the last day, Livia had to be completely overloaded.

“Hey Sophie, I’m okay. You don’t need to hit me with so much worry.”

Sophie’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry!”

Livia let out a tired laugh. “Don’t be. You’re only human, after all.” Her brow furrowed. Sophie noticed that Livia did the same nose scrunch that she did when she was realizing something she was unsure of. “Or I guess you’re just an elf.” Sophie laughed.

The two girls sat in silence. “This place means a lot to you doesn’t it?” Livia said suddenly. Caught a little off guard, Sophie nodded. “Yeah. Calla helped me a lot. She was a really good friend.” She looked at her sister. Livia seemed lost in thought, when she yawned.

Sophie stood, extending her hand. She smiled, feeling protective. “I think it’s time for you to go to sleep.” Livia nodded and took Sophie’s hand yawning again. Together, the two girls went back to the house.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Sophie crept down the stairs. Livia was passed out, in the bed tonight, as she had been too tired to protest Sophie sleeping on the floor. As Sophie got closer to the kitchen, she could hear voices.

“She has some serious damage. I might need to do another round of treatment.”

A voice sighed. “Do you know what it’s from?” Edaline whispered. There was a pause. Sophie guessed that they were exchanging looks.

“Part of it is from where she grew up, just the general Forbidden Cities toxins, but then there were some things…. I couldn’t see the full extent of them. Some things were mental, but you could see the physical effects of it.” Elwin finally said. Sophie crept closer, a dark feeling sinking into her stomach. If that meant what she thought it meant…..

“I’m sure there’s no reason to worry.” Alden sounded confident.

“Only time will tell.” It sounded like Juline.

“Elwin,” Grady asked, “Do you think-”

“Hey.” Sophie jumped as Biana appeared behind her. “I think you should leave the eavesdropping to those of us who can turn invisible, hmm?” Her eyes glittered with amusement. Sophie let out a breathy laugh. “Let’s go join the others.”

The two girls walked back to the living room, only to find Keefe posing in the middle of the room as Marella and Dex tried to knock him over. “Come on Dex!” Marella cheered. “Let’s mess up his hair!”

“Don’t you dare!” Keefe hissed. He looked towards Biana. “Save me,” he begged.

Biana snorted. “You asked for it.” Keefe pouted.

“Sophie?” He asked pleadingly. She shook her head and smiled. The complete ridiculousness was just the distraction she needed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working for everyone.

“Are you okay?” She walked over and sat next to Linh. The hydrokinetic had become more closed in on herself since Tam had joined the Neverseen.

“Not really.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Linh stared at the floor. “Listen.” Sophie, catching her meaning, stretched out her mental reach.

“ _ It’s just…. I never realized just how hard it would be to be separated from Tam. We’ve always had each other. I feel like I’ve lost half of myself. I know he did it to protect me, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less.”  _ She went quiet for a minute.

“ _ And now, you have a twin sister. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy for you. But…”  _ A tear slipped down her face. “ _ It makes it hard.”  _

Sophie’s heart broke. She hadn’t thought about how hard it was for Linh to see Sophie and Livia reunited when she couldn’t be with Tam.

“We’ll get him back I promise.” Sophie took her hand and squeezed. “In the meantime, I think Marella and Dex would love you forever if you helped them.” She nodded towards Keefe. Linh laughed.

“I think you’re right.” She waved her hand, and a gulon made of water swirled towards Keefe. His eyes widened. “Wait-Linh-NO!” He crashed to the ground as the water soaked him. Dex and Marella cheered and high fived.

“Thanks Linh!” Dex came over and offered her a high five as well. Linh accepted it, and smiled.

“I just feel bad I didn’t do it sooner.”

Keefe gasped in hurt. “I can’t believe this.”

At that moment, the adults came back in. Elwin took one look at the sopping wet Keefe and laughed. “I think I’ll be heading home now. Please stop before one of you gets hurt.”

“One of us already did!” Keefe scrambled up. “Look at my hair! My perfect, incredible hair! Ruined!”

Wraith chuckled. “Well, then I think it’s time we call it a night. You need time to recover from this… traumatic incident.” Everyone laughed.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

One by one, people started to glitter away and say their goodbyes. Biana made Sophie promise to bring Livia over to Everglen tomorrow for a game of Base Quest. “Even if she doesn’t play, I think she’ll enjoy it.”

Finally, it was just Fitz and Sophie. “Don’t talk for too long.” Edaline kissed Sophie’s cheek as she went inside. Grady glared.

“You have five minutes.” he warned as Edaline dragged him back inside. Sophie flushed, grateful for the dark. Fitz sent her a smile.

“I wish I had a photographic memory. I want to remember what happened to Keefe forever.”

Sophie giggled. “I’m worried about what he’ll do to retaliate. It might outmatch the Great Gulon Incident.” Her smile faded.

“What is it?”

“I’m worried about Linh. We were talking earlier and….” She shrugged helplessly.

“Yeah. I listened.” Sophie shot him a glare. “What? I’m worried too.”

“Anyways, I just wish I could do more to help. I can’t contact Tam because they have Gethen again. I’m one of the most powerful telepaths ever, and I can’t do anything”

He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. “I know. It’s frustrating.” He cracked an eye open. “But at least we can distract Linh until we have a plan.”

“Yeah.” Sophie leaned on the wall next to him. The two of them stood there in silence for a few seconds.

“Sophie?”

“Hm?”

Fitz turned so his shoulder was leaning against the wall instead of his back. “You know I’m here for you if you need anything.” His eyes gazed into hers. Her heart did the fluttery thing it always did.

“I know.”

He leaned in closer. Sophie could feel his breath on her cheek.

“Sophie-”

“Five minutes is up!” Grady yelled from his window. Fitz jerked back in shock.

“Grady!” Edaline scolded. Sophie and Fitz heard them argue for a second before the window closed. The two of them laughed. Fitz leaned closer again. “Good night Sophie.” He whispered before kissing her cheek. With one final smile, he put his pathfinder to the light and leaped away.

Sophie put her hand on her cheek. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. “He kissed me.” She whispered, with what was probably a dopey grin. With that, she went back inside and up to her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so this will probably be the last chapter I post for a while. I'm so sorry, cause I was saying I was going to get a few, and then stuff changed. Hopefully I can get another chapter out before the end of the month, but don't count on it.


	5. Crossed Boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, what did they say?"  
> "They just confirmed what I already knew. You know, the fact that I'm a special little flower and all that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so just a heads up, there is a trigger warning in this chapter. Part of Livia's backstory is revealed, and it's not a light concept. I will admit it's not well written, and I am NOT and expert or have experienced this kind of situation, but it is important for Livia's character. It is something you can skip, though things might get confusing later, but please don't read it if you have struggled with abuse. I am open to constructive criticism and I want to write Livia's story correctly, so if you have tips on this, or anything really, please let me know. I did some research, but you know, some of the stuff would raise red flags, so most of it was done through Tumblr conversations and fanfic writing stuff, both of which I found on Pinterest.

**Chapter 4**

 

Livia tugged on the hem of her cream colored tunic. “Why do I have to wear this?” she asked Sophie. She shrugged.

“Beats me. I don’t get what they have against jeans and a t-shirt.”

“And yet, you’re dressed fancier than me.”

Sophie blushed. “It’s so the gloves don’t stand out as much.” She rubbed her hands together self-consciously.

“Oh, and not at all because we’re going to see Fitz after he-” Sophie’s hand slapped over Livia’s mouth.

“Not another word,” she warned. Livia laughed. _So this is what it’s like to have a friend,_ she thought. Edaline came to the Leapmaster.

“I hope you two have fun. Grady and I will be gone until dark. We have an errand we need to run.”

Livia looked at her. Something was off. It almost felt as if Edaline was dreading something. She glanced at Sophie. Her mood seemed normal. Very anxious in an excited way, but not the least bit suspicious.

“Bye!” Sophie grabbed Livia’s hand. “Everglen!” she shouted. The large machine rotated and a single crystal lowered.

“Woah,” Livia whispered. Sophie shot her a smile and pulled her into the light.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“Livia and Foster are here!” A voice cheered as the twins appeared on the property. Keefe wiggled his eyebrows. “Did you miss me?”

Livia rolled her eyes. “About as much as I’d miss a leaf.” Sophie laughed. Keefe looked wounded.

“At least Foster loves me.” He slung an arm over Sophie’s shoulders. Fitz walked over. He stared at the half hug. Livia felt a flare of jealousy and protectiveness from him. From a quick glance at Keefe, he noticed too, and removed his arm. Fitz relaxed.

“Biana’s still inside, and Dex will be here soon.” He smiled at the girls.

“Will Linh or Marella be coming?” Sophie asked.

“They’re training. Marella accidentally set fire to her room again.”

Livia raised an eyebrow. “Again? Is this a frequent occurrence?”

Keefe laughed. “Not as frequent as your sister trying to blow up the school.” Sophie flushed.

“It’s gotten better,” she mumbled. Livia couldn’t help but smile.

“Livia!” a voice squealed. She barely had time to look up before Biana crashed into her, giving her a huge hug. “Uhhhh, hi.”

Biana pulled away, beaming. “C’mon! Let's go play Base Quest.” Before she could tug Livia away though, Alden walked up.

“Good morning!” He smiled. “I hope you got sleep last night.” Livia and Sophie nodded.

“I’m glad. Livia, Elwin is here. He wants to run a few more tests to make sure everything worked last night. Is that okay?”

Livia sighed. It didn’t seem like she could catch a break. Why couldn’t she be doing something useful, like learn how to control her abilities? She trapped herself in a forcefield twice while getting ready this morning. Despite the fact that Sophie and Sandor laughed, it was pretty annoying.

Not to mention how overwhelming it was to be feeling everyone’s feelings all the time. Livia didn’t know if she could block it, but there had to be something that she could do to dampen them. She had enough of her own emotions without adding on everyone around her.

And then there was her telepathy. She had zero idea how to use it. Reading someone’s mind intentionally, that was easy. Blocking unwanted thoughts, Sophie had taught her in seconds. But transmitting to animals or any of the other crazy things Sophie could do? Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

“Yeah, sure,” she said. _Maybe I can ask Alden if I can speak to that Forkle guy._

 

~~~~~~~~

 

A few minutes later, she found herself in a massive room in Everglen, sitting on the bed as Elwin did his light show around her. This time though, he spent a lot of time around her head, muttering to himself.

“Well kiddo, it looks like most of the issues were fixed.” He pushed his crazy glasses onto his head. “There are a few things that I want Mr. Forkle to look at, though.”

Livia sighed. “Hey, it’ll go fast.” Elwin sat on the bed next to her. “Anything you need to talk about?”

Livia stared at the floor. “I guess I’m just tired of being checked on. I want to do something useful. Or spend time with my sister.” She shrugged. “I want to figure out why I got put with my family, and how they lost track of me.” A few strands of purple hair fell into her face, and she brushed them away.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like.” Elwin said. “Sophie was disoriented enough, and she didn’t spend as long as you did with the humans. There’s so much you need to relearn. I can see how it would be frustrating just going through check ups and having everyone fuss over you all the time.”

Livia snorted. “Cause it’s so hard for a doctor to have a patient. I can’t _imagine_ the frustration. Being paid for flashing crazy lights and having people drink crazy potions. It must be _so_ hard.”

Elwin laughed. “You have some spunk.” A rapping sound filled the room, and Mr. Forkle walked into the room. “Good morning. Do you have any news?”

Elwin nodded. “Most of it is much better, and her system is clear of toxins. Her head is about the same though.”

“Wait, what? My head? What’s wrong with my head?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out, Ms. Grey.” Mr. Forkle smiled. “To quote Alden, there’s no reason to worry.” Livia stared at him. He was full of it. She could feel the small bit of guilt he was trying to hide. Plus, you know, the waves of worry and stress were kinda a dead give away. She tried to sit still and not flinch as he placed his hands gently on her temples. 

“It’s okay, Livia. I won’t hurt you. I need you to concentrate.”

Livia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “What do I need to concentrate on?”

“Keeping calm.”

 _Well that’s reassuring,_ she thought, forgetting he could read her thoughts. Mr. Forkle chuckled. “Are you ready?”

“Nope. Let’s do this.”

Livia tried to feel him searching her head, but all she could feel was the adults’ worry, and compassion. But then something changed. Mr. Forkle’s mood seemed to dampen, and Livia was sucked into a memory of when she was around eight.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Red and blue lights were flashing, brightening the dark night, and illuminating the sprawled body on the ground. Livia stood over the body, shaking it. “Mom,” she said. “Mommy, wake up. People are here to see Dad.” Livia shook harder, but a police officer pulled her away. As much as Livia wanted her mom to wake up, she smelled bad. Blood was pooled on the ground, seemingly coming from her mother’s head. The police officer led the little girl to an ambulance. A paramedic picked her up. “Hey, sweetheart.” The woman smiled. “I’m Dr. Vettle. I am just going to make sure you’re okay. Is that alright?” Livia looked away shyly, and nodded. Her head hurt from the chaotic thoughts shredding her brain. Nothing made sense to her.

Dr. Vettle’s smile brightened. “Okay, let’s have you sit here.” Livia was placed on a stretcher. “Why aren’t you looking at my mom?”

“Someone’s heading over there right now, okay?” Dr. Vettle gently cleaned a cut that was on Livia’s arm. Livia watched as strangers put her mom on another stretcher, and brought her to an ambulance. One of them came and talked to Dr. Vettle in a whisper, though Livia could hear his thoughts anyways.

“The lady’s dead drunk. There’s a gash on her head, and she’s covered in more bruises than this one. We suspect alcohol poisoning.” His thoughts judged Livia's mom harshly.

“Well, hurry and take her in. We’ll be following soon.” The man went back to the ambulance, and shut the doors. It left quickly after.

“Where are they taking Mommy?” Livia was crying.

“She’s hurt, so they had to take her somewhere she could get better. Don’t worry, we’ll be going there soon.” At that moment, there were gunshots from inside the house they were in front of. A man ran out the front of the door, and Livia shrank away from him, trying to hide. He came over to her.

“This is your fault!” he screamed. “If you had just been a normal kid instead of this freak, none of this woulda happened!” He raised the gun he was holding and pointed it at Livia. A police officer tackled him and another confiscated his gun, all while he was screaming and cursing. Dr. Vettle had jumped in front of Livia as soon as her father had come out, and was checking to see if she was okay.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” The lady inspected Livia for new injuries. She didn’t understand. Why was she being checked? Why were the police officers putting her dad into their car? He hadn’t done anything wrong. There were too many thoughts. Too many people. The neighbors had begun to come outside, and the only added to the painful cacophony of thoughts.

The tears that Livia was shedding had stopped once she saw her dad. She knew he didn’t like it when she showed him how she felt. He said it was rude and only babies cry. “What’s happening to my daddy? Why are they taking him? I wan-”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Livia was jerked back to the present. She was lying on the bed, curled into a ball, and she was drenched in sweat. She kept her eyes clenched shut though. She didn’t need them open to know that Mr. Forkle and Elwin weren’t the only ones in the room. Alden and Della were in there as well, and every adult pummeled her with worry. Mr. Forkle seemed more than worried though. Livia couldn’t place the exact emotion, but it almost felt like fear.

“Livia! Livia, can you hear me?” Elwin’s frazzled voice helped her to open her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She pushed herself up.

“You are definitely not fine. You just collapsed and-” Mr. Forkle cut him off.

“Livia, I’m sorry. I didn’t understand the entire story, and I had no idea that you would get pulled into the memory.” He went to place a hand on her shoulder, and she jerked away.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m fine.” She stood and walked towards the door, trying to hide the fact that her whole body was shaking. “I’m going to find Sophie. You know, do the things I came here to do.”

“Now hold on just a minute-” Elwin was cut off again as Della gave him a stern look. Livia shut the door and went to the living room. She hadn’t intended on anyone finding out about her past. Especially not like that. She had thought they had known, but she couldn’t forget Mr. Forkle’s horror. She wasn’t going to sit through another examination and listen to him tell everyone else how fragile she was. She was done being coddled.

Livia stepped out into the grounds. She could hear shouting over by a large tree with candy cane-esque swirls on it. But after the unwanted flashback, she went the opposite direction. She needed a minute alone before facing all of them.

She found a tree that was a fair distance from the house (if you could call it that) and sat down in the shade. She pulled some strands into her face and noticed the previously vivid blues and purples were slowly turning back into her natural blonde. The colors shouldn't have faded this quickly, but she guessed the detox yesterday had to do with it. She didn't get how it affected her hair, but she didn't care. _I wonder if they’ll be able to tell Sophie and I apart._ She sat there looking at her hair for a few minutes, calming herself down, before she heard footsteps approaching. From the waves of insecurity and confidence that were somehow being radiated at the same time, she guessed Keefe had found her.

“Hey Grey! What are you doing over here? The game’s that way!” He pointed towards the shrieks that were permeating the air.

“Oh, you know, just thinking about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Normal stuff.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

Livia just shrugged. She had forgotten that the only one here who would catch that was Sophie. “Nevermind.”

Keefe flopped down on the ground next to her, and Livia scooted away. This made Keefe’s eyebrows rise even higher, but he didn’t comment on it. “What’s wrong? I don't smell, do I?”

“Nothing. I’m just peachy.”

“With that attitude you could replace our buddy Bangs Boy.”

Livia shot him a glare. “Glad to hear you mock him. I bet Linh would really appreciate that.”

Keefe lay down. “Yeah, you’re right. I mean, I pulled the same stunt not too long ago.”

Livia stayed quiet. She didn't know what to say to that comment. It wasn't really a "Yeah, I get that," kind of case.

"So is everything good?" he asked after a minute. Livia shrugged.

"I honestly don't know." Even after only a day, Livia knew there was no point in lying to an Empath.

"Well, what did they say?"

"They just confirmed what I already knew. You know, the fact that I'm a special little flower and all that."

Keefe laughed. Livia noticed that for the first time since she manifested, the atmosphere didn't seem too overwhelming. Even though her and Keefe were definitely feeling each others emotions, something was different.

Suddenly, loud footsteps came bounding over to them. Biana and Sophie burst through some bushes. "Run!" Biana said as the two of them went by.

Not long after they left, Fitz came running through as well, but he screeched to a halt once he saw Livia and Keefe.

"What are you two doing?" He was soaked.

"Sitting in confusion." Livia responded. Fitz laughed.

"Sophie and Biana decided that the best way to tag out Dex and I was to shove us in the lake."

Keefe and Livia started cracking up. "I mean, you gotta hand it to them. That's a pretty genius plan." Livia snorted.

"Yeah, I wish I had thought of it. No, actually I would've set up a trap with gulons." The three of them all laughed harder. Dex came stumbling over.

"Hey. Do you know where Sophie and Biana went?"

Still laughing, Keefe pointed to the right, where the two girls had fled not too long before.

"Thanks." Fitz said before dashing off again, still laughing. Dex watched him, confused.

"Um, anyway," he said after a minute. "Livia, I really hope I don't offend you or anything, but I made you this." He held out a small cube with a dome on top, and some dials on the sides. She took it. "Luckily, I had the foresight to make it waterproof."

"Thanks?" She looked at it. "If you don't mind me asking, what's it for?"

He fidgeted. "It's something to help you catch up with the rest of us. I remembered how much Sophie struggled with all of this and I thought this could help. It's really easy to use." He tapped a small button by the dome and a projected image appeared. 

"I call this the Mid-World. Using the dials, you can access information on anything that we have easy access to, or learn while we are in school. It can access several databases. And this," he pointed to a small black dial, "can be used to look for information on your abilities. You'll have to learn most of it from another person, but it could help."

Livia looked at him in amazement. He looked away, blushing.

"Thank you so much, Dex. This will help a lot." He smiled.

"Don't mention it." He turned to follow Fitz, but shrieks burst through the air. The three of them all bolted to see what it was. When they reached a small clearing, they found Fitz leaning on a tree, cracking up, and Biana covered in mud. Sophie had been lucky enough to avoid most of the puddle, but her left leg was coated in a thick layer.

"FITZROY AVERY VACKER, I WILL PERSONALLY FEED YOU TO A TROLL!" Biana screeched. "THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TUNICS!"

He straightened up. "Isn't every tunic your favorite?" His teal eyes were glittering in amusement.

"UGHHHHH!" Biana stormed back to her house.

Keefe and Dex burst out laughing. "That was amazing!" Keefe went over to Fitz and high fived him.

"She's going to kill you." Dex said. Fitz shrugged. "It was worth it."

Livia crossed over to her sister. "You okay?"

Sophie nodded. "Biana got the worst of it. I feel bad for her."

"Eh. She had it coming."

Sophie grinned. "Actually, pushing the boys in the lake was my idea."

"Wow, I can't believe you have a dark side. Especially with-"

"That was your idea?!" Dex looked shocked.

"That hurts, Sophie." Fitz smiled. Livia felt her sister's excitement and butterflies. Livia smirked. Sophie was smitten.

"Dang, Foster! I didn't think you had it in you, but you just had to go and prove me wrong." Keefe pumped his fist. "This is a momentous occasion. I should write a song. _Sophie, our queen, the goody two shoes, finally decides to relax and let loose-"_

He was cut off by Alden, who walked into the clearing. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of Dex and Fitz's wet outfits, the mud coating Sophie's leg, and the weird dance Keefe was doing. Livia looked at the ground in front of him.

"I'm not sure if I should apologize for intruding, but I would suggest that you all clean up." Keefe snorted.

"Yeah, you delinquents! Shape up! We have important things to do, like exposing Livia's embarrassing secrets!"

Livia glowered at him. "Yeah, try it. I dare you."

Alden, understanding her defensiveness, stepped back in.

"Let's just start with a fresh change of clothes."

The group went back to the house and Livia sat in the kitchen with Keefe and Della. Alden had gone back to his office to "discuss important matters" with Mr. Forkle and Elwin, and Livia figured most of them had to do with her.

"Would you like anything to eat?" Della asked, startling her from her thoughts. Livia looked back at her, once again marveling at her beauty. "No thanks. I'm not hungry." She gave a small smile.

Keefe pounded a fist on the counter. "You're missing out. She made ripplepuffs!" He snatched one off the plate Della was holding and shoved it into his mouth.

"Such a display of polite manners. I'm inspired," Livia responded dryly. Della chuckled and left as Biana walked in, freshly clean after the mud incident. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, and she was wearing an intricately embroidered pink tunic. Livia could see the web of scars peeking out of the sleeves.

Biana plopped into a chair with a dramatic sigh. "Livia, I'm so sorry about that. My brother's an idiot."

"It's fine. I'm sorry for laughing."

Biana's grin felt forced and the air filled with a strange, prickly feeling. "I would've laughed too."

The two girls sat in an awkward silence while Keefe continued to eat ripplepuffs. Livia couldn't help but notice that Biana kept glancing at Keefe. It was as if she was waiting for him to talk. Or something else. Livia felt weird, but she focused on the emotions Biana was feeling. It was like she liked Keefe, but not really. Livia sighed. Girls.

Keefe snorted. "You doing okay over there, Grey?" She looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You feel a little…." He paused. "I actually don't even know."

"You can't interpret when someone's debating how much trouble they'll get in if they throw a ripplepuff at you? That's disappointing."

Biana laughed and the tension between the two girls eased. Sophie walked in with the two boys.

"What did we miss?" she asked.

Keefe leapt up. "Your sister mocked me! My heart feels as if it's shattering into-"

"Oh please. You'll be fine." Fitz smiled at Livia.

"Are you downplaying my suffering? Do you not understand the agony that I'm in?" Keefe plopped back into a chair dramatically. "I will never be the same."

Everyone grinned as he continued to moan about how painful it was to be mocked as Livia grabbed a ripplepuff. Keefe didn't see her carefully aim. But he did see when it hit him in the face.

The room burst into laughter as Keefe froze in shock. The laughter grew louder as it slowly slipped off of his face. Livia’s sides hurt from laughing so hard.

“Note to self, don’t mess with Livia,” Dez wheezed, a tear slipping down his face.

“You’re officially my new favorite person,” Biana added.

The group calmed down as Keefe went into the bathroom and washed his face off. When he came back in, snickers echoed through the space. He pouted. “You guys are so mean.” This made everyone laugh again, and Keefe snuck a wink at Livia. She froze. It almost felt as if he was relieved, but that didn’t make sense. Why would he be relieved from getting hit in the face with a flying desert? Sophie’s voice broke her train of thought.

“Let’s go outside and play Base Quest again.” She flashed a smile at Livia. “This way, you’ll have a chance to play.”

Biana dragged her outside with the rest of the group. “Uhhh, could I just watch? I want to figure out this thing.” Livia held up the Mid-World.

They looked surprised but agreed, and left her sitting by a tree on a large hill, overlooking the area they would be questing in.

Livia watched their games for a while, but focused on the small gadget. As time passed, she figured out the basis of how to use it. By the time the sun had gone down, she had begun to search through the records she had been given access to.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“Well, that was entertaining” Livia commented once they had leapt back to Havenfield. Sophie nodded.

“It’s always interesting, that’s for sure.” The two girls walked inside in silence.

“Hey, Sophie?”

“Yeah?”

“Where are all of the rest of your bodyguards? I thought you had five.”

Sophie paused at the bottom of the stairs. “I do.” She tugged on an eyelash. “They just didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

Livia paused for a second. “But are they still following you around?”

“Yeah. They just hiding more than usual.”

“Oh.” They went into Sophie’s room. A small childlike figure was humming and placing flowers on a second bed, draping them so they hung like a canopy. The small creature turned. Livia gasped.

“Livia,” Sophie smiled. “This is Flori. She’s a gnome.”

Flori curtsied. “I was hoping to meet you. We added a bed for you to sleep in, so you girls won’t have to sleep on the floor anymore.” She smiled gently.

“Will we be sharing a room?” Livia asked. Sophie shrugged.

“I’m okay with whatever you want to do.”

Livia shuffled her feet. “I’m not sure. But for now,” she turned to the gnome. “Thank you.” Flori smiled again and began walking towards the door. “I’ll leave you two to get some rest. Good night.”

"Good night!" Sophie called.

"Night." Livia muttered.

Flori gently shut the door. Livia silently started getting ready for bed, trying to ignore Sophie's concern and curiosity. She finished, and snuggled deep under the covers of the new bed.

"Livia?" Sophie finally asked. "Are you okay?"

Livia wrestled with herself for a second. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Sophie went silent, finished getting ready, and clapped her hands softly, turning off the lights. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. Livia, however, tossed and turned. As much as she tried to ignore it, she couldn't forget what had happened earlier today, and the dread she felt about seeing all of those adults again, especially Mr. Forkle. It had taken years of therapy and loving parents for her to begin to open up and within seconds, her trust had been breached and she was closed off again. 

And she knew she hadn't fooled Keefe. He had probably been able to feel her anxiety and terror from outside. He had found her fairly quickly. Livia's throat began to burn. It was too much. All of this was too much. All she wanted to do was put a force field around her bed and never come out.

Suddenly, a crack of light entered the room and Edaline poked her head in. "Livia?" she whispered. "Are you awake?" She was radiating dread. After a moment of debating if she wanted to deal with more bad news, she mumbled, "Yeah."

Edaline crossed the room quietly and sat on the edge of the bed. "How was your day?" She asked. Livia shrugged. Edaline reached her hand towards Livia and she scooted away. Edaline dropped her hand on the bed softly.

"I'm here if you ever want to talk."

Livia was a little surprised. Edaline had seemed slightly fragile, but maybe she had judged her too harshly. But she couldn't open up yet so she just said, "Okay." 

Edaline shifted. "Livia….. Grady and I went to meet with the Collective this morning, and then we met with the Councillors." She paused, waiting for Livia to say something. When she stayed quiet, she continued.

"They think it's best that you remain homeschooled for now, get used to everything going on. This way, we can make sure you are safe." She was holding something back, and Livia had a pretty good idea what.

"It's because of my background, isn't it?"

That caught Edaline off guard.  "That was one of the reasons the Collective gave, but it's...it's more because you and Sophie are twins. Sophie has faced a lot of prejudice and scorn because of who she is, and the Council and the Collective agree that it's better for you to wait."

Livia felt hurt. The world she had just become apart of was already pushing her out. She appreciated waiting so she wasn't overwhelmed, but she just wanted to be normal. Just once. She had craved it ever since she was little and she had been given a glimpse of it, and now, it was snatched away.

"At least I have the Mid-World."

"What's that?"

"Something Dex gave me today to help me adjust."

She could barely see Edaline's soft smile in the dark room. "Well, I'm sure it will come in handy." She stood. "I should let you get some rest. Good night." She left the room.

Livia pulled the blanket over her head and scrunched into a tight ball. She hated this. She hated that she couldn't be normal, she hated that she couldn't go to school, she hated that she had to hide. She had known this world she was introduced to wasn't perfect, but it had given her hope that things could be different. That she could finally fit in, or at least have friends. But now she was being denied all of it. Because the world was broken, and people weren't trying to fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it has been so long since I updated. A LOT had been going on, and this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I was anticipating. I will most likely be updating way less, as school has started (lol I'm dying) and homework will be consuming my time. I am planning on continuing this, but it will be taking a lot longer. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that you have a great week!


	6. Bonus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING

Grady and Edaline sat in chairs in the center of the room. To their left, the Councillors sat regally, watching them. On their left sat the Collective, each in their crazy disguise. They sat in a conference type room, one used by the Councillors to hold meetings before appearing before the public.  
Emery rose from his seat. “I am grateful that we were able to gather today peacefully, and that you trusted us enough to reach out for this matter, but we ask you why? To our knowledge, the Neverseen have stayed dormant these last few months.”  
The Collective exchanged looks before Granite spoke. “Our sources say so as well. But we came to discuss a different matter.” He waited until he had all twelve councillors’ attention before he continued. “We have found Sophie’s twin sister.”  
The last three words threw the room into an uproar.  
“Why were we not informed of this sooner?!”  
Granite looked at them calmly. “Because there was no reason to let you know.”  
Though Emery tried to look calm, a vein bulging in his forehead gave his anger away. “We have done nothing but try to cooperate with you these last few months. This is a matter that concerns us as well, and you saw no reason to let us know before now?’  
“Please just let us explain the situation, and then we can talk.”  
Emery nodded, and slowly sat down. Granite took a deep breath, and then began to speak. “Project Moonlark was not always meant to have two parts, but when we noticed some….signs in the embryo, we had no choice but to work with the path nature was taking us down. The result was Sophie and her sister Livia. With two embryos, and a new plan in place, we went forward, feeling confident in the changes and tweaks that we were making. Eventually, it came time to implant the embryos. As you know, Sophie went to a good family in California. We had planned for the two of them to be somewhat near each other, although separate, and thought we had found a-” His voice faltered. “A good family for both of them.”  
“What does-” Alina began, but Squall sent her an icy stare (hahaha, yes I know I’m pathetic). Granite continued.  
“Sophie grew up, as normal as she could, but Livia ended up having a much more difficult path. Two of our most trusted operatives watched them, but maybe if I had been there, things would have been different. We later learned, when Livia was eight, that her father was incredibly abusive towards her. But, that’s not where her troubles started. While Sophie had manifested young, we had no intentions of having Livia manifest as young as she was.  
One day, when Livia was three years old, there was an accident. Her adoptive mother had been intoxicated, and took Livia with her on her way to the store. Her mother drove the car into a semi-truck. It was a miracle either of them had survived. The two of them were rushed to the hospital. I came as soon as I heard, as well as Mr. Forkle, but I was too late to stop the treatment the doctors had begun. Somehow, her telepathy was triggered.” Murmurs broke out, but he ignored them.  
“Three is awfully young to manifest, but there was nothing we could do. I spent every moment I could trying to subconsciously train her. I worked as a physical therapist for her until she was six, and after that, would come visit her at night, and train her while she was sleeping.” His voice broke off again. “I don’t know how I missed the signs.”  
His voice was thick with emotion as he continued. “When I came to her house a few days after, her father was arrested, and I had no idea what had happened. The operative we had stationed there had disappeared a few days prior, but we had no knowledge of this. I came to find her entire home swarming with police officers going in and out of the building. After searching the memories of the officers present, I went to the hospital, and found the EMT responders. Apparently, they had received an anonymous call that they should go to the address. The police officers had received a similar one. When they arrived, they found Livia’s adoptive father beating her mother, who was heavily intoxicated, and a little girl, hiding in her room. After treatment, Livia had been relocated and her name changed to hide her from her father, with our organization losing track of her and her whereabouts.”  
Edaline was covering her hand with one mouth, and was clutching Grady’s tightly with the other one. Tears streamed down her face. Grady was a pasty white color, and he looked horrified. All of the Councillors were sitting uneasily in their chairs.  
“Livia’s father was arrested, and they separated her from her mother, but the damage had been done. Livia was heavily traumatized. Not long after, her father managed to escape from prison, bent on finding her. He did, but luckily her guardians were able to protect her. During the incident, Livia was knocked unconscious, and woke up with no recollection of the experience.  
Over the next year, she was able to visit her mother every month, but not long after her ninth birthday, her mother overdosed. She stayed with her guardians, who adopted her three years ago, on her thirteenth birthday.  
As you can guess, she has been seeing a therapist weekly, trying to work through her trauma. Throughout all of this, she had to deal with the burden of being a partially trained telepath. We looked for her everywhere but we were unable to find her until recently, along with the physical and mental distress of subconsciously suppressing her abilities."  
Alina held up her hand during the lull. "My question is, how could you lose track of her?! And if you truly did, how do you have the knowledge of her past?"  
Bronte look at the female councillor, horrified. "While valid questions, that is not the matter we need to focus on." His face took on a greenish hue as he struggled to process the violence inflicted on Livia. "What do we do? We can't expect her to be okay with everything that's happened. We cannot allow her to attend Foxfire."  
Grady, who had managed to stay silent this whole time, finally let his words burst out. "WHAT?!"  
"Grady, stay calm, please," Edaline begged.  
"Give me one good reason she shouldn't attend. She needs to learn how to use her abilities and how this world works!" He spoke in a much calmer tone.  
"We agree, but think of the danger that comes with letting her attend school." Blur said.  
"Exactly," Emery agreed. "Please wait outside for a moment as we discuss all of the options."  
"As if," Grady spat. "This is my daughter we are talking about."  
"Grady, she is not your daughter officially yet. We do not know if she wants to stay with you." Alina sneered.  
Grady slumped back in his chair, fuming. Edaline leaned forward and out her head in her hands. "Please," she said in a soft voice. "Please let us stay. We might not know if she will be staying with us, but she is our daughter's sister and we love her as if she were our own."  
After a brief telepathic debate, Emery nodded in consent.

The debate went on for hours. Reasons were brought up, discussed and put aside. Several of the Councillors were opposed to letting her attend Foxfire, and they had the support of the Collective as well. The other abilities they had triggered in Livia were brought up and that brought on fresh rounds of arguments.  
When the opposing side asked why, they would give reasons from she could be dangerous, to the ridicule she would face.  
"You didn't seem to care about the rejection Sophie would face!" Grady argued.  
Councillor Zarina stood. "We could not know the extent that it would happen. Now we have a better understanding of that, as well as the knowledge that it would be worse for both Sophie and Livia as news got out that they are identical twins."  
"Which you have done nothing to change opinions on!"  
Several of the Councillors began speaking over one another, but it was Bronte who finally overpowered them.  
"No one regrets this more than I," he said firmly. "But I fear for Livia in this. She needs more support at home dealing with the trauma she has experienced."  
The only councillor who had stayed silent the entire time was Oralie. She finally spoke. "Grady, Edaline, I know you're frustrated with this. I'm angered as well. But she has had to deal with so much change in this last week alone. She needs to wait. We aren't saying never, we just want to give her time to adjust."  
It was these soft words that finally calmed the storm in the room.  
"If we wait, we can figure out if she has more abilities than the ones you've mentioned. We can give her more intense personal training than we could give her at Foxfire." Councillor Terik added.  
Wraith walked to where Grady and Edaline were sitting. "There is so much more to Livia than we know. " His voice was quiet. "We know she has more abilities, and until we have an idea of how to deal with the suppression of them, it's safer for her to be in a home for most of the time. Please consent to this for her sake."  
Grady looked as if he wanted to continue arguing but Edaline placed a hand on his arm. "Grady," she said softly. "Do you remember what happened when you talked with her? She couldn't even look at you. And that was after having Sophie talk to her all night about us and our lives here. Livia has barely let anyone touch her. She doesn't trust a single part of our world yet. I think it would be better for her to be homeschooled for now."  
With her words, the rest of the fight in Grady left. He glanced at the other people in the room, watching him expectantly. He cleared the lump that had formed in his throat. "I consent. But you have to promise that you will do everything in your power to protect her and help her."  
Emery and Granite held telepathic conversations with their respective cohorts and nodded at Grady.  
"We give you our oath." Emery promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey this is just a bonus Chapter because I haven't had time to write the main story for a bit, and I don't know when I can. This is a heavier chapter, but I do want to incorporate stuff from it in the rest of the story so please be patient. And please let me know how I can better write Livia and how she deals with her trauma. I wrote this before Flashback, and after, I'm deciding this isnt really going to be following the story as closely as I had planned originally so it is becoming more of an AU. Hope you enjoyed and I'll talk to you next time I can post!


End file.
